Sley

ABSTRACT

The sley secures the reed in place by means of one or more clamping members disposed in the groove-shaped indentation alongside the reed. The clamping members can be of wedge like construction to clamp the reed in place or can be of a deformable material which is deformed so as to clamp the reed in place. The clamping members can also be spring loaded to ensure a sufficient clamping force on the reed.

United States Patent 1 Pfarrwaller Nov. 6, 1973 1 SLEY [75] Inventor: Erwin Pfarrwaller,Winterthur,

Switzerland [73] Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Ltd., Winterthur,

Switzerland [22] Filed: July 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No; 162,081

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 13, 1970 Switzerland 1. 10563/70 [52] US. Cl. 139/188 [51] llnt. C1. D03d 49/60 I [58] Field of Search 139/188, 190, 191, 139/192 [56] References Cited 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,098,769 11/1937 Webster ..l 139/188 A 3,670,776 6/1972 Demuth 139/188 R 3,677,306 7/1972 Atkinson 139/188 R 2,316,703 4/1943 Moessinger 139/188 2,489,978 11/1949 Rogers et al 139/188 2,634,764 4/1953 2,775,985 1/1957 2,109,444 2/1938 Jackson 139/188 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 22,898 1910 Great Britain... 139/188 A 467,369 2/1969 Switzerland 139/192 251,355 8/1948 Switze'rland..... 139/188 471,262 5/1969 Switzerland 139/192 Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi Attorney-Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin [57] ABSTRACT The sley secures the reed in place by means of one or more clamping members disposed in the groove-shaped indentation alongside the reed The clamping members can be of wedge like construction to clamp the reed in place or can be of a deformable material which is deformed so as to clamp the reed in place. The clamping members can also be spring loaded to ensure a sufficient clamping force on the reed.

13 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED HUY 61973 SHEET t [IF 4 Fig.6

SLEY

This invention relates to a sley and more particularly to a sley having a clamping member. for securing a reed in place.

Heretofore, sleys have been known in which a reed is received within a grooved indentation extending along the longitudinal orientation of the sley. Such sleys have generally received the bottom or base part of the reed within the indentation and'have had means for mounting the bottom part therein. For example, it has been known to mount the reed by means of a plurality of thrust screws disposed in a flange part of the sley section and adapted for stressing against the side wall of the reed base. In this known system, it is possible for relatively high local stresses due to surface pressure to occur on the clamped base part, for example, due to excessive tightening of the thrust screws. As a result, the base part and, therefore, the binder dent of the reed with the dents bonded therein may be deformed. These deformations have been especially acute in reeds in which the dents are mounted in a plastic collar and particularly in fine gauge reeds in which thin dents are disposed at close distance from each other as such may cause weaving faults.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to avoid unfavorable stressing of a reed base within a sley and to simplify mounting of the reed in the sley.

It is another object of the invention to eliminate deformation in the binder dent of a reed caused by mounting of the reed in a sley.

Briefly, the invention provides a sley with a grooved indentation for receiving a reed base and a clamping member which is inserted in the indentation adjacent a supporting surface of the sley section and is stressed i.e. resiliently biased against a surface of the reed base. The clamping member serves to uniformly distribute the thrust forces which act on the reed base when mounted in the sley over a surface which is substantially greater compared to a screw cross-section. As a result, the stress applied to the reed base, within the spatial conditions to which a sley is subject, can be minimized and deformation of the dents can be effectively prevented.

In a particularly simple embodiment having easily adjustable and detachable parts, the clamping member is constructed in wedge form and the supporting surface of the sley section and a superficial base part facing this section include between them an angle of inclination which corresponds to the angle between the wedge surfaces of the clamping member. The provision of one or more of such uniform clamping members distributed over the length of the sley enables the reed to be aligned on the loom or weaving machine with the required degree of accuracy, which is very high in the case of fine reeds, without any substantial local stresses being applied to the reed base.

In another embodiment having .a sley section which is particularly easily accessible for mounting and removing the reed, the supporting surface of the sley section is formed by a flank of the indentation which has an angle of inclination such that the flank extends the indentation outwardly from its bottom part.

In order to ensure that the cooperating surfaces are in full physical contact when the clamping member is stressed, the angle of inclination between the supporting surface of the sley section and the corresponding surface part of the base in the unstressed state is made smaller then the angle between the wedge surfaces of the clamping piece by an amount corresponding to the elastic deformation of the sley section which occurs when the clamping members are stressed. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the deformation of the sley section is taken into account by virtue of the fact that one of the cooperating contact surfaces, preferably a clamping piece surface which faces the supporting surface of the sley section, is provided with a barrelled part which bears on the corresponding mating surface for any operative position of the clamping member.

In still another embodiment, the clamping member is constructed of elastically deformable, for example rubber-like material. This provides a particularly simple reed mounting means which can be produced with little effort and can be easily installed.

In still another embodiment, clamping member mounting means are provided which contain a spring element in active association with the clamping member. The spring element may be disposed between the clamping member and a corresponding part of the sley section. In order to facilitate removal of the reed from the sley, it is appropriate for the spring element to be so disposed that the spring force acts against the insertion direction of the clamping member so that when the mounting means are released, the clamping member may be lifted from the reed base thus releasing the reed.

In accordance with still another embodiment, the spring element may also be disposed between an abutment surface situated on the mounting means and a corresponding part of the sley section or an abutment surface associated with the clamping member. To this end, the spring force may act in the insertion direction of the clamping member so that the thrust force is supplied by the spring element. This procedure when used in conjunction with a clamping member constructed of resilient material may compensate for possible fatigue. Thus, a reduction of the elasticity of the material and the thrust force exerted on the clamping member may be maintained substantially at a constant value.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a partially drawn sley with a reed mounted therein according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 each illustrate respective views taken along lines IIII and III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a view similar to FIG. 3 of a modified clamping member having a barreled surface facing a sley flank according to the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a view similar to FIG. 3 of a deformable clamping member according to the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a view similar to FIG. 5 of a spring biased deformable clamping member according to the invention; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a view similar to FIG. 6 of a modified clamping member according to the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a sley 1 of a loom (not shown) is mounted by means of screw fasteners 3 and nuts 3a on a plurality of sley levers 2 only one of which is shown for clarity. The sley 1 extends substantially over the entire weaving width of the loom. The sley levers 2 are mounted on a shaft (not shown) coupled to the machine drive by means of which pivoting motions are imparted to the sley l in accordance with the arrow (FIG. 2).

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the sley 1 has an approximately U-shaped section with a groove-shaped indentation 6 formed between two flanges 4, 5 and extending over the entire length of the sley 1. A reed 7 mounted in the sley 1 has two horizontal binder dents 8, 9, two end bars 11 for connecting the dents 8, 9 only one of which is shown and a plurality of dents 12 distributed over the weaving width and bonded in the binder dents 8, 9. The lower binder dent 9 is mounted on a base part 13 which is inserted between the flanges 4, 5 of the sley 1.

The sley indentation 6 is formed of a floor, a flank 14 which extends perpendicularly to the floor and an inclined flank 15 which increases the indentation 6 upwardly from the floor. The width of the indentation 6 at the floor level is approximately equal to the width of the base part 13 while the base part 13 has one side wall 16 adjusted to bear against the flank 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, a plurality of cuniform clamping members 18 are distributed over the weaving width in the space formed between the side wall 17 of the base part 13 and the inclined flank 15. Each of these members 18 has a wedge surface 19 which bears against the side wall 17 of the base part 13 while another wedge surface 20 bears against the flank 15. The angle between the side wall 17 and the flank 15, functioning as a supporting surface, is smaller than the angle between the wedge surfaces 19, 20 of the clamping member 18 by a defined amount which corresponds to the elastic deformation of the flange 5 which occurs in stressing.

Each of the wedge surfaces 19, 20 are subdivided by a groove-shaped recess 21 to enable each surface to bear more readily against the corresponding mating surfaces. Appropriate recesses 22, which increase the indentation, are provided for the heads of the mounting screws 3 in the sley section so that the upper edge of each screw head is disposed in the same plane as the floor of the indentation 6. Accordingly, the reed 7 may be inserted into the recess 6 without being impaired by the mounting screws 3.

Referring to FIG. 2, each of the clamping members 18 is retained by a screw 23 which traverses through the wedge surface 20 and the flank 15. The screw 23 is disposed in a tapped hole 27 situated in the sley section and has a head 24 with an internal hexagon socket while a washer 25 is inserted between the head 24 and the clamping member 18. The shank of the screw 23 extends through a bore in the clamping member 18 which surrounds the shank with a lateral clearance. The bore in the sley section and in the clamping member 18 communicate with recesses 28, 29 which are open relative to each other and have a larger diameter. A helical spring such as a compression spring 26 is positioned in these enlarged recesses 28, 29 to surround the screw 23 and to thrust the clamping member 18 against the head 24 of the screw 23.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in use, tightening of the screw 23 causes the clamping member 18 to be stressed against the side wall 17 and the flank 15. This causes the flange 5 to be deformed, that is, the flange 5 is slightly curved in the outward direction until the two parts of the wedge surface 20 separated by the recess 21 bear fully on the flank l5 and the base part 13 is firmly seated in the indentation 6.

When the loom is ready for operation, warp threads (not shown) which are distributed across the weaving width are guided between the reeds 12. During weaving, these warp threads are divided in known manner to form a shed into which a weft thread is picked during each operating cycle of the loom. After each picking operation, the reed 7 is moved by a pivoting motion of the sley l (arrow 10) into the position illustrated in FIG. 2 with the weft thread being beaten by the dents 12 in the apex of the shed against the edge of the fabric which is formed thereat. After the ensuing shed changing of the weft threads, the reed 7 is pivoted and a new weft thread is picked which is then beaten into the position illustrated in FIG. 2 by a further pivoting motion of the reed 7 and so on.

Referring to FIG. 4 wherein like reference characters indicate like parts as above, the sley 1 is provided with a clamping member 31, the wedge surface 20a of which is provided with a barrelled part 32. In this embodiment, the clamping force of the flange 5 is transferred at practically every stage of its deformation at the same position, that is, over the barrelled part 32, to the clamping member 31. Thus, irrespective of the operative position of the clamping member 31, the thrust force to be transmitted to the reed base 13 acts on the reed base 13 after being uniformly distributed over the flank 19.

Referring to FIG. 5 wherein like reference characters indicate like parts as above, the sley 33 is provided with a recess or indentation 34 having parallel flanks 14, 35. A block-shaped deformable elastic clamping member 36 constructed of rubber or like resilient material is inserted in place of the cuniform clamping member between the side wall 17 and the flank 35. The clamping member 35 is also provided with a continuous bore for passage of the screw 23 while a thrust washer 37 is inserted between the clamping member 36 and the head 24 of the screw 23. In use, tightening of the screw 23 causes deformation of the deformable elastic clamping member 36 and causes the member 34 to be stressed against the base part 13 and the flank 35. That is, the member 36 is bulged laterally to engage against the base part 13 and the flank 35.

Referring to FIG. 6 wherein like reference characters indicate like parts as above, a compression spring 38 is disposed between the screw head 24 and the thrust washer 37. This spring 38 provides the required thrust force for deformation of the clamping member 36 when the screw 23 is tightened. This arrangement offers the advantage that the thrust force is maintained substantially constant by the stressed spring 38 even in the event of fatigue of the elastic material which may occur after some time.

Finally, referring to FIG. 7 wherein like reference characters indicate like parts as above, the sley 39 has a screw 23 inserted from the underside of the sley section through a continuous bore into the recess 34 and through the resilient clamping member 36. The free end of the screw 23 extending from the clamping member 36 is provided with a nut 40 which is stressed against the clamping member 36 through a thrust washer 25. The spring 38 is disposed between the screw head 24 and a corresponding part of the sley profile and exerts a thrust force in the manner as described above on the clamping member 36.

The resilient clamping member 36 as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 can be constructed in a manner similar to that in which the clamping members 18, 31 are constructed or can be constructed as an integral piece which extends over the entire length of the sley and which is pressed into the recess by screws 23 disposed at regular distances from each other. Similarly, the clamping members 18, 31 may extend over the entire length or part of the length of the sley.

Various other embodiments are also possible. For example, the inclined flank of the indentation 6 may have a barrelled part. Moreover, a spring element similar to spring 38 may be disposed between one of the wedgeshaped clamping members 18, 31 and the screw head 24, respectively. Finally, an embodiment is also feasible in which the clamping members are retained in the indentation by means of spring elements secured on the sley section so as to dispense with mounting screws 23.

What is claimed is:

1. A sley having a longitudinally extending groove shaped indentation for receiving a base part of a reed therein, and means for mounting the reed in said indentation, said means including at least one clamping member located within said indentation adjacent to and bearing against a surface of said indentation on one side for bearing against an opposite surface of the base part mounted in said indentation on another side, and means for resiliently biasing said clamping member against the baae part to secure the reed in said indentation.

2. A sley as set forth in claim 11 wherein said clamping member is cuniform with a pair of wedge surfaces angularly disposed to each other and oppositely disposed to said surface of said indentation'and the surface of the received base part, said wedge surfaces forming an angle of inclination corresponding to the angle between said surface of said indentation and the surface of the received base.

3. A sley as set forth in claim 1 1 having a flank of said indentation defining said surface thereof, said flank extending outwardly of a floor of said indentation angularly thereof.

4. A sley as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping member is resiliently deformable and said means for resiliently biasing said clamping member deforms said member to engage against said surface of said indentation and the surface of the base part.

5. A sley as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for resiliently biasing said clamping member includes a spring for biasing said clamping member against the base part.

6. A sley as set forth in claim 1 1 wherein said spring is disposed between said clamping member and said sley.

7. A sley as set forth in claim 5 wherein said spring is disposed between an abutment surface on said clamping member and said sley.

8. In combination,

a sley having a groove shaped indentation and a supporting surface defining a portion of said indentation;

a reed having a base part received in said indentation;

at least one clamping member located within said indentation between said supporting surface and said base part with one surface bearing against said supporting surface and an opposite surface bearing against said base part, and

means for resiliently biasing said clamping member against said base part to secure said reed in said sley.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said base part has a supporting surface engaging said clamping member and said clamping member is cuniform with a pair of angularly disposed wedge surfaces, and wherein said supporting surfaces define an angle of inclination in an unstressed state smaller than the angle between said wedge surfaces by an amount equal to the elastic deformation of the sley section having said supporting surface thereon when said clamping member is based against said base part.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said base parthas a supporting surface engaging said clamping member, and wherein at least one of said supporting surfaces has a barrelled part.

11. A sley having a longitudinally extending grooveshaped indentation for receiving a base part of a reed therein, at least one clamping member in said indentation bearing against a surface of said indentation for engaging a surface of the base part mounted in said indentation, a screw passing through said clamping member and said indentation and threaded into said sley, and a compression spring positioned within said clamping member about said screw for thrusting said clamping member away from said surface of said indentation to lift said clamping member from said indentation to release the reed upon threading of said screw from said sley.

12. In combination,

a sley having a groove shaped indentation and a supporting surface defining a portion of said indentation;

a reed having a base part received in said indentation;

a clamping member in said indentation between said supporting surface and said base part;

a screw passing through said clamping member into threaded engagement with said sley; and

a compression spring within said clamping member and between said clamping member and said sley for thrusting said clamping member away from said sley to lift said clamping member from said sley to release said reed upon threading of said screw from said sley.

13. A sley as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for resiliently biasing said clamping member is an elastically deformablepart of the sley, said part being deformed when said clamping member is forced to bear against said surface of said indentation and the surface of the base part of the reed. 4 

1. A sley having a longitudinally extending groove shaped indentation for receiving a base part of a reed therein, and means for mounting the reed in said indentation, said means including at least one clamping member located within said iNdentation adjacent to and bearing against a surface of said indentation on one side for bearing against an opposite surface of the base part mounted in said indentation on another side, and means for resiliently biasing said clamping member against the baae part to secure the reed in said indentation.
 2. A sley as set forth in claim 11 wherein said clamping member is cuniform with a pair of wedge surfaces angularly disposed to each other and oppositely disposed to said surface of said indentation and the surface of the received base part, said wedge surfaces forming an angle of inclination corresponding to the angle between said surface of said indentation and the surface of the received base.
 3. A sley as set forth in claim 11 having a flank of said indentation defining said surface thereof, said flank extending outwardly of a floor of said indentation angularly thereof.
 4. A sley as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping member is resiliently deformable and said means for resiliently biasing said clamping member deforms said member to engage against said surface of said indentation and the surface of the base part.
 5. A sley as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for resiliently biasing said clamping member includes a spring for biasing said clamping member against the base part.
 6. A sley as set forth in claim 11 wherein said spring is disposed between said clamping member and said sley.
 7. A sley as set forth in claim 5 wherein said spring is disposed between an abutment surface on said clamping member and said sley.
 8. In combination, a sley having a groove shaped indentation and a supporting surface defining a portion of said indentation; a reed having a base part received in said indenta-tion; at least one clamping member located within said indentation between said supporting surface and said base part with one surface bearing against said supporting surface and an opposite surface bearing against said base part, and means for resiliently biasing said clamping member against said base part to secure said reed in said sley.
 9. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said base part has a supporting surface engaging said clamping member and said clamping member is cuniform with a pair of angularly disposed wedge surfaces, and wherein said supporting surfaces define an angle of inclination in an unstressed state smaller than the angle between said wedge surfaces by an amount equal to the elastic deformation of the sley section having said supporting surface thereon when said clamping member is based against said base part.
 10. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said base part has a supporting surface engaging said clamping member, and wherein at least one of said supporting surfaces has a barrelled part.
 11. A sley having a longitudinally extending groove-shaped indentation for receiving a base part of a reed therein, at least one clamping member in said indentation bearing against a surface of said indentation for engaging a surface of the base part mounted in said indentation, a screw passing through said clamping member and said indentation and threaded into said sley, and a compression spring positioned within said clamping member about said screw for thrusting said clamping member away from said surface of said indentation to lift said clamping member from said indentation to release the reed upon threading of said screw from said sley.
 12. In combination, a sley having a groove shaped indentation and a supporting surface defining a portion of said indentation; a reed having a base part received in said indentation; a clamping member in said indentation between said supporting surface and said base part; a screw passing through said clamping member into threaded engagement with said sley; and a compression spring within said clamping member and between said clamping member and said sley for thrusting said clamping member away from said sley to lift said clamPing member from said sley to release said reed upon threading of said screw from said sley.
 13. A sley as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for resiliently biasing said clamping member is an elastically deformable part of the sley, said part being deformed when said clamping member is forced to bear against said surface of said indentation and the surface of the base part of the reed. 